White House, USDA Post Halloween Images of SNAP Fraud Case

Federal prosecutors say a social media personality controlled more than 350 fraudulent food assistance accounts between January 2020 and July 2026, and images tied to his case are circulating on federal government social media accounts ahead of the midterm elections.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins posted a photo Saturday on the social platform X showing a Black man standing in front of stacks of what appear to be U.S. currency under the headline SNAP FRAUDSTER. The man holds aloft a bill that appears to be on fire. The post includes the text, "Some costumes come with a price tag. This one comes with a prison sentence," set against a backdrop designed to look like Spirit Halloween costume packaging.

The White House posted a separate image Thursday showing a pumpkin carved with the shape of a sombrero and the words "Spooky szn is here." Rollins was nominated by Trump to serve as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in November 2024.

The photo Rollins posted appears to come from a September 2025 Instagram post from an account under the name Shawty Dred. The Justice Department identified Mercedes Reshard New, also known as Shawty Dred, as a social media personality. Federal prosecutors said New controlled more than 350 fraudulent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program accounts under stolen identities and allegedly applied for his company, Shawty Dred LLC, to become an authorized SNAP retailer. Using EBT debit cards, prosecutors said he extracted about $4 million from the accounts.

A federal grand jury indicted New Oct. 7 on dozens of counts of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, plus one count each of SNAP fraud and illegal transactions with access devices. He was arrested Oct. 13 and remains in federal custody. Fulton County jail records show prior arrests on suspicion of identity theft, insurance fraud, financial transaction card fraud, forgery and simple assault. His federal defender, Joseph Austin, did not return a phone message.

This is not the first time official White House accounts have drawn criticism over such imagery. Just over a year ago, during the government shutdown, the White House played on repeat in the briefing room a deepfake video posted by Trump showing House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in a fake mustache and sombrero. Jeffries called the meme bigoted. Vice President JD Vance said the "sombrero memes will stop" once Democrats agreed to end the shutdown.

The Trump administration has increased its anti-immigrant rhetoric and fraud accusations in recent weeks. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar's Washington, D.C., home was searched by federal agents earlier this month, and federal authorities are investigating potential fraud in her family's immigration paperwork. Omar was born in Somalia and is a naturalized U.S. citizen. The administration has also taken punitive steps tied to fraud allegations in California and Minnesota, whose governors said the federal government targeted their states for political reasons.

Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta Marlo Graham said in an Oct. 21 release that New's Instagram account, which has more than two million followers, depicted private jets, Rolls-Royce vehicles in front of a "super mansion," and stacks of cash. "Instead of this money feeding families in need, New, the social media personality known as 'Shawty Dred,' allegedly used the cash to bankroll a life of luxury," Graham said. The NAACP, the White House and Rollins did not respond to emails seeking comment.